Bill Gates to give Sh44.5 billion for malaria, other diseases
An undated file photo provided by Sanaria Inc. of Rockville, Maryland, showing malaria-infected mosquitoes ready for dissection in the lab's manufacturing facility during vaccine production. AFP PHOTO | ROBERT THOMPSON
Gates described the Ebola epidemic that has killed more than 4,900 people in West Africa since the beginning of the year as a "critical moment in the history of global health."
Gates said the rise in resistance to effective malaria drugs in Southeast Asia should serve as a warning.
WASHINGTON US philanthropist Bill Gates on Sunday announced he would donate over $500 million (Sh44.5 billion) to fight malaria and other infectious diseases in the developing world, saying the Ebola outbreak was a call to action.
The former Microsoft CEO told the 63rd annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in New Orleans that his Gates Foundation is committing more than $500 million in 2014 "to reduce the burden of malaria, pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, and an array of parasitic infections that are leading causes of death and disability in developing countries," a statement said.
